Carlos Torres filled in for Matt Harvey last night and did pretty well. Unfortunately, shifting Torres into the rotation meant there was one less competent arm in the bullpen. David Aardsma, Greg Burke, and Josh Edgin LOLed it up in relief and the Mets lost to the Pirates for the second day in a row.
Aaron Yorke recounted the long and short of it here at Amazin' Avenue. Pick your poison when it comes to other recaps: MLB.com,ESPN NY,Daily News,New York Times,Associated Press,Star-Ledger,New York Post,Newsday.
Dillon Gee will try to stave off the sweep and make the Mets winners in the team's last game before the All-Star break this afternoon. Rookie Gerrit Cole gets the start for the Pirates.
Speaking of the All-Star Game, one Met who won't be sticking around for the festivities at Citi Field is Jordany Valdespin. The team demoted JV1 to Triple-A Las Vegas yesterday. Scott Atchison takes his place on the roster.
There's a good chance Valdespin stays in Vegas for a while, too. Partly because the 51s will need some infield depth, as top prospect Wilmer Floresrolled his ankle. Also because it sounds like the Mets are content to stick with their current roster for the time being. Before last night's game, both GM Sandy Alderson and his special assistant J.P. Ricciardi reiterated they wouldn't look to tradeMarlon Byrd or Bobby Parnell.
Finally, if you're curious to learn how Brooklyn Cyclones manager Rich Donnelly spends his Sunday morning, check out the Times today. He's the subject of the paper's Sunday Routine column. Keep the coffee coming, Norma.
Yesterday at AA
Daniel Convery looked at what Donnelly's charges and all the other minor leaguers in the system were up to in the Daily Farm Report.
Some dillhole wrote about David Wright and all the many other Mets who made appearances at All-Star Games played on July 13 in the daily This Date post.
Around the NL East
The Braves topped the Redsyesterday. With all three of Atlanta's regular outfielders hurt, the team started Joey Terdoslavich, Reed Johnson, and Jose Constanza. The trio went seven-for-eleven cumulatively.
Washington lost in walk-off fashion to the Fish. Giancarlo Stantonabsolutely crushed a game-tying homer in the ninth, then Ed Lucas won it one inning later with a well-placed grounder.
The Phillieswon last night, but they lost Ben Revere for the foreseeable future. The outfielder with warning track power fouled a ball off his foot and broke it.
Around MLB
Tim Lincecum regained his Freak form and no-hit the Padres, though he needed 148 pitches to do it. Grant Brisbee wrote a suitably long list of reasons the no-no was awesome.
The Rangers handed Max Scherzer his first loss since September 2012. The right-hander would have been the first pitcher to start a season 14-0 since Roger Clemens in 1986.
A-Rod went AWOL from a rehab game. Rumor has it he might be cutting a deal with MLB to avoid a long-term suspension. If negotiations are successful, he'll be back with the Yankees next year in time to fulfill the remaining four years on his contact and collect some of the $86 million he's owed.
Speaking of contracts, the Astros signed Jose Altuve to a four-year extention. SB Nation's own David Roth had the best take on the deal:
Astros extend second baseman Jose Altuve to five-foot eight. Congratulations to all.
— David Roth (@david_j_roth) July 13, 2013
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